Tuberculosis, Schizophrenia, Motor Neuron Disease, Diabetes, Death, Bereavement, Isolation, Hopelessness
23yr old Roshan suffering from motor neuron disease was bedridden. Eight months ago we encountered Vijaya Buse and her 2 sons. Their small shack, squeezed between smart, double storey buildings was barely noticeable. There was a strong smell of vomit outside, and entering the dark house we found Vijaya lying on a rope bed; her eldest son Roshan, lay on the bed opposite. It was the middle of summer, unbearably hot.
Vijaya was awake but unresponsive; she was emaciated, dirty and her clothing saturated with urine. She’d been bed ridden for months. Roshan we discovered was also bed ridden, suffering from an undiagnosed condition, he was unable to help his mother who was also suffering with untreated TB and schizophrenia.
The room was littered with rubbish and uneaten food; there were flies everywhere.
Kissan arrived; Vijaya’s youngest son. At the age of 15 he was caring for his mother and brother as well as earning money and attending night school. Everyday Kissan was responsible for nursing, bathing, cooking, working and studying.
How do people manage with so many odds stacked against them? We were in awe of Kissan.
WIN immediately registered Vijaya at her local PHC for TB treatment, in addition to which, anti-psychotic medication was prescribed for the distressing symptoms of schizophrenia. All treatment was supervised by the charity.
Roshna, aged 23 was unable to walk or look after himself and yet had never seen a doctor to determine what was wrong. Following a series of medical tests, we discovered that her had Motor Neuron Disease MND – an unfortunate diagnosis. Sadly a few months later Roshan died in his sleep.
WIN took over the responsibility of everything to help alleviate the pressure on Kissan so that he could focus on his studies. Unfortunately, following the death of his brother he became severely depressed and later developed diabetes, which initially caused him a lot of health problems and prevented him from attending college.
Today, things have improved significantly. Vijaya is back to being a mother again. She is TB free and enjoying cooking and looking after Kissan.
Kissan is much better but struggles to live without sugar in his tea! In India insulin is not free – fortunately we were able to connect Kissan with The Dream Trust, who are paying for his treatment. WIN continues to provide everything else: food, electricity and all Vijaya’s medication. Kissan is attending college and his mother now takes pride in looking after their home.
We look forward to updating you on their progress. Today Kissan and his mother are happy to be alive
